- Origin of Paddy Fields and Functions for Environmental Remediation in the Urbanized Areas of Yangtze River Delta

Introduction ......................................................................................................... 394 Origin of Irrigated Rice Paddy Fields and Chinese Paddy Soils ................. 396 Evidence for Rice Paddy Soils’ Sustainability ................................................ 398

Rice Paddy Fields Located at the Loujiajiao Site Are More Than 3000 Years Old .................................................................................398 Productivity Increased as Rice Cultivation Was Prolonged within the Paddy Soil Chronosequence ..................................................................400